Williams Ranch Elementary

Q: Is Williams Ranch Elementary a good school?

Williams Ranch Elementary ranks 705 th of 5862 California elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Summary:

Williams Ranch Elementary is a public elementary school located in Penn Valley, California, serving 197 students in grades K-5. The school is part of the Penn Valley Union Elementary District, which is ranked 536 out of 1,568 districts in the state and has a 3-star rating.

Despite serving a high percentage of students from low-income families, with 46.19% qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch, Williams Ranch Elementary consistently outperforms the district and the state of California in Smarter Balanced Assessments for English Language Arts and Mathematics. In the 2023-2024 school year, the school had 73.47% of students proficient or better in ELA and 66.33% in Math, compared to 53.45% and 38.26% for the district, and 47.04% and 35.54% for the state. The school's performance is particularly strong in 3rd grade ELA (86.21% proficient) and 3rd grade Math (79.31% proficient), well above the district and state averages.

While Williams Ranch Elementary has seen an increase in chronic absenteeism over the past few years, from 9.1% in 2017-2018 to 32.9% in 2022-2023, the school still performs better than the Penn Valley Union Elementary District average of 37.5% for the 2022-2023 school year. The school's consistent academic excellence and ability to support the success of its socioeconomically disadvantaged students are particularly noteworthy and could provide valuable insights for other schools facing similar challenges.

Detail:

Public K-5

14804 Pleasant Valley Rd.
Penn Valley, CA 95946-9722

(530) 432-7300

District: Penn Valley Union Elementary

SchoolDigger Rank:
705^th of 5,862 California Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $11,309

Student/teacher ratio: 23.1

Number of students: 185

Racial breakdown:

White:

73.0%

Hispanic:

17.3%

Two or more races:

5.9%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 49.2%

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Performance Trends

Compare Details Williams Ranch Elementary ranks better than 88% of elementary schools in California. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 89.88. (See more...)

Chronic absenteeism in a school refers to a situation where students repeatedly miss school, with the threshold often defined as missing 10% or more of school days for any reason, excused or unexcused.

Student Body

Compare Details Racial makeup is: White (73%), Hispanic (17.3%), two or more races (5.9%). (See more...)

Compare Details 49.2% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Compare Details (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Williams Ranch Elementary is 23.1. (See more...)

Compare Williams Ranch Elementary employs 8 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Williams Ranch Elementary is $11,309.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Williams Ranch Elementary:

SchoolDigger ranks Williams Ranch Elementary 705^th of 5862 California public elementary schools. (See Williams Ranch Elementary in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Female students:

Male students:

White students:

Penn Valley Union Elementary:

SchoolDigger ranks Penn Valley Union Elementary 536^th of 1568 California school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for Williams Ranch Elementary

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Rank History for all students at Williams Ranch Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	72.50	1461^st	5662	74.2%
2019	67.46	1720^th	5789	70.3%
2021	56.42	556^th	1417	60.8%
2022	71.87	1538^th	5883	73.9%
2023	76.87	1285^th	5874	78.1%
2024	89.88	705^th	5862	88.0%

See the entire list of California Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Williams Ranch Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	72.04	1076^th	5084	78.8%
2019	67.33	1327^th	5173	74.3%
2022	85.17	535^th	5264	89.8%
2023	88.00	459^th	5374	91.5%
2024	88.48	498^th	5511	91.0%

See the entire list of Best California Elementary Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at Williams Ranch Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	68.11	1589^th	5413	70.6%
2019	62.91	1847^th	5492	66.4%
2021	58.15	473^rd	1267	62.7%
2022	69.07	1566^th	5635	72.2%
2023	73.34	1350^th	5617	76.0%
2024	89.75	631^st	5605	88.7%

See the entire list of Best California Elementary Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Male students at Williams Ranch Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	70.72	1460^th	5431	73.1%
2019	67.99	1595^th	5510	71.1%
2021	62.64	425^th	1272	66.6%
2022	69.02	1569^th	5663	72.3%
2023	83.24	954^th	5650	83.1%
2024	87.12	763^rd	5636	86.5%

See the entire list of Best California Elementary Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for White students at Williams Ranch Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	52.28	1442^nd	2737	47.3%
2019	39.09	1879^th	2834	33.7%
2022	39.24	1758^th	2726	35.5%
2023	62.55	1029^th	2662	61.3%
2024	66.52	921^st	2647	65.2%

See the entire list of Best California Elementary Schools for White Students!

Data source: test scores: California Department of Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

As you review the school rankings data, please be aware that some of the information from certain demographics is missing. The reason for this omission is that the data has been redacted from the source data itself due to low population samples in these specific demographic groups.

Redacting data from low population samples is a necessary step to ensure the reliability and accuracy of the results, as small sample sizes may not be representative of the broader population. Additionally, this measure helps protect the privacy of individuals belonging to these demographic groups.

Data source: California Department of Education

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Enrollment information for Williams Ranch Elementary

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
2015	165	0	3	22	4	1	11	0	206
2016	153	0	2	16	2	0	13	0	186
2017	122	1	2	10	0	0	14	0	149
2018	154	2	2	31	1	0	14	0	204
2019	149	2	2	27	0	0	23	0	203
2020	154	3	0	26	1	0	22	0	206
2021	129	3	4	26	1	0	30	0	193
2022	132	3	2	30	1	0	20	0	188
2023	131	5	1	29	4	1	25	1	197
2024	135	3	2	32	2	0	11	0	185

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Enrollment/Ethnicity

For more information about how the Department of Education defines ethnicity, see Defining Race and Ethnicity Data, National Center for Education Statistics

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Williams Ranch Elementary

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2015	206	n/a	n/a	41.7
2016	186	6.0	31.0	44.6
2017	149	7.0	21.2	34.9
2018	204	9.0	22.6	45.6
2019	203	9.0	22.5	47.3
2020	206	n/a	n/a	45.6
2021	193	9.5	20.3	44.6
2022	188	12.5	15.0	46.8
2023	197	10.0	19.7	46.2
2024	185	8.0	23.1	49.2

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Students eligible for discounted/free lunch:

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides low-cost or free meals to students in U.S. public and nonprofit private schools based on household income. Those with incomes below 130% of the poverty line receive free lunch, while those between 130% and 185% qualify for reduced-price lunch. The percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch serves as a marker for poverty, as it reflects the socioeconomic status of families in a given school or district. A higher FRPL rate typically indicates a higher concentration of low-income families, suggesting that the school or district may face additional challenges in providing adequate resources and support for student success.

Student/Teacher Ratio Williams Ranch Elementary

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2015	206	n/a	n/a	41.7
2016	186	6.0	31.0	44.6
2017	149	7.0	21.2	34.9
2018	204	9.0	22.6	45.6
2019	203	9.0	22.5	47.3
2020	206	n/a	n/a	45.6
2021	193	9.5	20.3	44.6
2022	188	12.5	15.0	46.8
2023	197	10.0	19.7	46.2
2024	185	8.0	23.1	49.2

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Student-Teacher Ratio

Student/teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of students by the total number of full-time equivalent teachers. Please note that a smaller student/teacher ratio does not necessarily translate to smaller class size. In some instances, schools hire teachers part time, and some teachers are hired for specialized instruction with very small class sizes. These and other factors contribute to the student/teacher ratio. Note: For private schools, Student/teacher ratio may not include Pre-Kindergarten.

Kindergarten Immunization Rates

Williams Ranch Elementary

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Year	Completely Immunized	Religious Exemption	Medical Exemption	Conditional	Polio	Hepatitis B	Varicella	DTP	MMR
2012	91.0%	0.0%	0.0%	9.0%	93.0%	100.0%	100.0%	91.0%	93.0%
2013	98.0%	0.0%	0.0%	2.0%	98.0%	98.0%	98.0%	98.0%	98.0%
2014	84.0%	7.0%	0.0%	10.0%	85.0%	92.0%	90.0%	85.0%	93.0%
2015	80.0%	19.0%	0.0%	2.0%	81.0%	80.0%	81.0%	81.0%	81.0%
2016	88.0%	13.0%	0.0%	0.0%	88.0%	88.0%	88.0%	88.0%	88.0%
2017	91.0%	0.0%	3.0%	6.0%	≥95.0%	≥95.0%	≥95.0%	≥95.0%	≥95.0%
2018	93.0%	0.0%	4.0%	0.0%	≥95.0%	≥95.0%	≥95.0%	≥95.0%	≥95.0%
2019	93.0%		2.0%	5.0%	≥95.0%	≥95.0%	≥95.0%	≥95.0%	≥95.0%
2020	91.1%		2.2%	4.4%	93.3%	93.3%	93.3%	93.3%	93.3%
2021	87.9%		0.0%	6.1%	90.9%		90.9%		93.9%
2022	92.3%		0.0%	3.9%	92.3%		92.3%

Data source: California Department of Public Health

Finances

Per Pupil Expenditures for Williams Ranch Elementary

Year	Total Expenditures Per Pupil
2018	$11,309

Data source: California Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Williams Ranch Elementary

The coronavirus has had a profound impact on education in America. Learning shifted online overnight, attendance numbers dwindled, and enrollment decreased. SchoolDigger.com is making it easier for you to better assess how COVID-19 has impacted your school. Through the collection of pre-pandemic (2019) and current data, SchoolDigger.com is sharing test scores, enrollment numbers and school demographics from schools across the country – and we make it easy to see how impacted schools compare locally and statewide.

Rankings

Rank Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Rank Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Ranks 1720^th of 5789 Elementary schools	Ranks 1285^th of 5874 Elementary schools	7.8%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
3rd Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (Williams Ranch Elementary)	48.3	51.4	3.2%
3rd Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (Penn Valley Union Elementary)	53.1	46.9	6.2%
3rd Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (California)	48.5	43	5.6%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Williams Ranch Elementary)	48.3	82.9	34.6%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Penn Valley Union Elementary)	53.1	65.6	12.6%
3rd Grade Mathematics (California)	50.2	45.1	5.1%
4th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (Williams Ranch Elementary)	56.4	58.5	2.1%
4th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (Penn Valley Union Elementary)	58.6	37.1	21.4%
4th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (California)	49.5	43.7	5.7%
4th Grade Mathematics (Williams Ranch Elementary)	46.2	61	14.8%
4th Grade Mathematics (Penn Valley Union Elementary)	47.1	41.4	5.7%
4th Grade Mathematics (California)	44.9	40.8	4.1%
5th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (Williams Ranch Elementary)	70.6	55	15.6%
5th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (Penn Valley Union Elementary)	60.9	49	11.9%
5th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (California)	51.7	46.7	5%
5th Grade Mathematics (Williams Ranch Elementary)	52.9	40	12.9%
5th Grade Mathematics (Penn Valley Union Elementary)	45.3	39.2	6.1%
5th Grade Mathematics (California)	38	33.4	4.6%
5th Grade Science (Williams Ranch Elementary)	52.9	40	12.9%
5th Grade Science (Penn Valley Union Elementary)	43.1	41.2	1.9%
5th Grade Science (California)	31.7	31.9	0.1%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	203	197	3%
African American	2	5	150%
American Indian	0	4
Asian	2	1	50%
Hispanic	27	29	7.4%
Pacific Islander	0	1
White	149	131	12.1%
Two or More Races	23	25	8.7%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	47.3%	46.2%	1.1%

Schools Near Williams Ranch Elementary

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Immunizations Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2024)				Ranking (2023)				CAST Science (2024)			Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy (2024)							Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics (2024)							% Completely Immunized (2022)	% Polio (2022)	% Hepatitis B (2022)	% Varicella (2022)	% DTP (2022)	% MMR (2022)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2018)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	SchoolDigger Rating (2024)	Average Standard Score (2023)	Statewide Rank (2023)	State Percentile (2023)	Rank Change from Previous Year	CAST Science 5th Grade	CAST Science 8th Grade	CAST Science End of Course	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy 3rd Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy 4th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy 5th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy 6th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy 7th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy 8th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy End of Course	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 3rd Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 4th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 5th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 6th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 7th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 8th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics End of Course	% Completely Immunized KG	% Polio KG	% Hepatitis B KG	% Varicella KG	% DTP KG	% MMR KG	Total
Williams Ranch Elementary	Public	K-5	14804 Pleasant Valley Rd.	Penn Valley	95946	Nevada County	Penn Valley Union Elementary	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(530) 432-7300	185	8	23.1	49.2%	135 (73.0%)	3 (1.6%)	32 (17.3%)	2 (1.1%)	2 (1.1%)	0 (0.0%)	11 (5.9%)	89.9	705^th of 5862 public elementary schools	88.0%		76.9	1285^th of 5874 public elementary schools	78.1%	580	57.5		57.5	86.2	65.5	70.0				73.5	79.3	62.1	60.0				66.3	92.3	92.3		92.3			$11,309
Nevada City School of the Arts	Public, Charter	K-8	13032 Bitney Springs Rd. Bldg.	Nevada City	95959	Nevada County	Nevada City School of the Arts District	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(530) 273-7736	460	26	18.0	46.7%	343 (74.6%)	1 (0.2%)	56 (12.2%)	5 (1.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	53 (11.5%)	63	1923^rd of 5862 public elementary schools	67.2%		71	1536^th of 5874 public elementary schools	73.9%	387	39.2	51.9	45.6	42.9	64.4	54.9	57.1	74.1	71.7	61.6	34.2	48.9	31.4	44.6	43.1	35.9	39.8	71.9	79.7	78.1	82.8	79.7	84.4
Ready Springs Elementary	Public	K-8	10862 Spenceville Rd.	Penn Valley	95946	Nevada County	Penn Valley Union Elementary	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(530) 432-1118	336	16	20.9	65.2%	234 (69.6%)	2 (0.6%)	57 (17.0%)	2 (0.6%)	2 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	37 (11.0%)	46.4	2764^th of 5862 public elementary schools	52.8%		45.3	2805^th of 5874 public elementary schools	52.2%	41	29.0	20.3	23.3	57.1	40.0	38.7	47.6	40.4	47.5	44.9	52.4	36.0	16.1	27.5	29.8	24.1	28.8	84.1	93.2		88.6	90.9	90.9	$12,204
Yuba River Charter	Public, Charter	K-8	10085 Adam Ave.	Grass Valley	95945	Nevada County	Yuba River Charter District	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(530) 272-6060	322	12	26.2	50.9%	251 (78.0%)	0 (0.0%)	30 (9.3%)	5 (1.6%)	3 (0.9%)	1 (0.3%)	32 (9.9%)	71.4	1527^th of 5862 public elementary schools	74.0%		60.5	2032^nd of 5874 public elementary schools	65.4%	505	48.4	53.6	50.9	53.1	58.8	58.1	64.5	67.9	67.9	61.4	53.1	52.9	22.6	56.7	53.6	53.6	48.6	55.4	55.4	57.1	57.1	55.4	57.1
Margaret G. Scotten Elementary	Public	K-4	10821 Squirrel Creek Rd.	Grass Valley	95945	Nevada County	Grass Valley Elementary	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(530) 273-6472	346	18	19.7	72.0%	245 (70.8%)	4 (1.2%)	60 (17.3%)	7 (2.0%)	5 (1.4%)	4 (1.2%)	21 (6.1%)	36.2	3421^st of 5862 public elementary schools	41.6%		27.5	4126^th of 5874 public elementary schools	29.8%	705				40.7	36.6					38.4	31.5	29.6					30.4	90.1	96.7		94.5	92.3	95.6	$8,482
Bell Hill Academy	Public	K-4	342 South School St.	Grass Valley	95945	Nevada County	Grass Valley Elementary	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(530) 273-2281	231	11	21.0	63.2%	120 (51.9%)	3 (1.3%)	97 (42.0%)	1 (0.4%)	8 (3.5%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.9%)	66.4	1754^th of 5862 public elementary schools	70.1%		63.6	1863^rd of 5874 public elementary schools	68.3%	109				78.6	43.2					60.5	65.1	32.6					48.8	94.1				94.1		$7,648
Yuba Environmental Science Charter Academy	Public, Charter	K-8	9841 Texas Hill Rd.	Oregon House	95962	Yuba County	Yuba Environmental Science Charter Academy District	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(530) 692-2210	169	6	26.4	64.5%	95 (56.2%)	1 (0.6%)	50 (29.6%)	2 (1.2%)	8 (4.7%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (7.1%)	24	4461^st of 5862 public elementary schools	23.9%		22.4	4616^th of 5874 public elementary schools	21.4%	155	19.1	35.0	26.8	28.6	28.6	14.3	26.3	20.0	20.0	22.7	64.3	28.6	9.5	0.0	26.7	20.0	22.7
Grass Valley Charter	Public, Charter	K-8	225 South Auburn St.	Grass Valley	95945	Nevada County	Grass Valley Elementary	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(530) 273-8723	521	21	24.7	47.2%	427 (82.0%)	3 (0.6%)	48 (9.2%)	9 (1.7%)	5 (1.0%)	1 (0.2%)	28 (5.4%)	60.9	2030^th of 5862 public elementary schools	65.4%		60.4	2038^th of 5874 public elementary schools	65.3%	8	45.1	18.8	32.3	44.9	39.7	47.1	57.7	58.2	45.8	48.7	49.0	42.9	39.2	46.2	52.7	33.3	44.0	91.4	96.6	94.8	96.6	94.8	94.8	$9,256
Dobbins Elementary	Public	K-6	1 Dobbin School Ln.	Dobbins	95935	Yuba County	Marysville Joint Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(530) 692-1665	62	3	24.4	69.4%	44 (71.0%)	0 (0.0%)	11 (17.7%)	3 (4.8%)	1 (1.6%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (4.8%)	24.4	4415^th of 5862 public elementary schools	24.7%					(n/a)	33.3		33.3	0.0		40.0				32.4	16.7		6.7				16.2
Clear Creek Elementary	Public	K-8	17700 McCourtney Rd.	Grass Valley	95949	Nevada County	Clear Creek Elementary	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(530) 273-3664	163	9	18.5	42.9%	108 (66.3%)	1 (0.6%)	22 (13.5%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (1.2%)	0 (0.0%)	30 (18.4%)	59.7	2075^th of 5862 public elementary schools	64.6%		55.3	2268^th of 5874 public elementary schools	61.4%	193	29.4	28.6	29.0	50.0	64.7	52.9	11.1	54.2	42.9	46.2	62.5	70.6	29.4	38.9	37.5	21.4	43.4							$11,190

Frequently Asked Questions about Williams Ranch Elementary

How many students attend Williams Ranch Elementary?

In the 2023-24 school year, 185 students attended Williams Ranch Elementary.

What is the racial makeup of Williams Ranch Elementary?

Students at Williams Ranch Elementary are 73% White, 17% Hispanic, 6% Two or more races, 2% African American, 1% Asian, 1% American Indian.

What district is Williams Ranch Elementary in?

Penn Valley Union Elementary

Is Williams Ranch Elementary a good school?

Williams Ranch Elementary ranks 705^th of 5862 California elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

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SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the California Department of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.